C4 A Miami Beach United Resolution OCT 1 7 2018
Miami Beach United Resolution (7 fr
C4-A Ordinance Amendments for 500-700 Alton Road Projects
October 15, 2018
Miami Beach United objects to the referral of rezoning and land development regulation amendments to th
Planning Board unless and until a fully negotiated development agreement, spelling out every detail, has been
completed. The Planning Board should have the benefit of complete information before rendering a
recommendation.
Below is the previous MBU resolution on this project:
The City is being asked by a developer to allow a transfer of FAR from land they own in the 600 and 700 blocks
of Alton Road across 6th street to non-abutting land they own in the 500 block of Alton Road.To justify this FAR
transfer to non-abutting land, which is clearly prohibited by City Charter Section 1.03c, the City is proposing to
"vacate" 6th Street to the developer so that the 500, 600 and 700 blocks of Alton Road become "unified
abutting parcels".The "vacating of 6th Street" is a legal fiction.Sixth Street will remain open to traffic and will
serve the same function in the future as it does today.
The sole purpose of "pretending" to vacate 6th Street is to circumvent Section 1.03c of the City Charter which
prohibits a transfer of FAR to a non-abutting property,without a City-wide referendum.
The City is also being asked by a developer to amend the land development regulations to allow a 600%
increase in the height of a tower to be built in the 500 block of Alton Road, from the 75 feet permitted in the
CPS-2 zoning district to approximately 450 feet.This is spot zoning, being done solely for the benefit of this one
project, and because of the unprecedented six-fold increase in permitted height, it should not be approved
without a City-wide referendum.
Because of the enormous impact this project will have on the gateway to our City and because of the
dangerous precedent that would be set by allowing a tripling of FAR on one property and a six fold increase in
the height of a tower on that property, the City charter must be respected and followed by scheduling a City-
wide referendum on this project before it is allowed to move forward.
We understand that the proposed deal is appealing to many West Avenue and South Pointe residents.
However,when it comes to allowing transfers of FAR to non-abutting property, the City charter requires that the
decision be made by all Miami Beach residents, and not by the Miami Beach commissioners and not by the
residents affected locally by the project in question.
If the FAR increase and height increase were approved by a City-wide referendum, then the City Commission
should negotiate the maximum public benefit. In the proposed development agreement, the developer is
getting a huge windfall and the City is not sharing adequately in the increased property value created by the
increase in FAR and height.
Miami Beach United is in STRONG OPPOSITION to this project as proposed. Based on a review of the City
charter,we believe the proposed transaction violates the charter by circumventing a required public
referendum for the purpose of benefitting a single for-profit developer.
2018 MW Board at Directors
Olken
Nancy Liebman.Charwomon Emeritus:Co Prescient
lanya K.Bnott.Co-President:marketing&Communications
Soul Gross.'treasurer
Herb Fronk V Membership&Nominating
Wanda Mouron.Recording Secretory
DYectcn
Ryan Banos
Hortense De Castro
Jorge Gonzalez
Jock Johnson
Adam Kravitz
Sarah leddck
Margaret Pules Machado
Jonathon Parker
Kirk Paskd
Ron Storkmat